Saturday, March 31, 2012

That's a pretty big number of people that only hear your station on Saturday and Sunday.

Consistency is key.

Look at any big successful brand. They are consistent in their message, their product and their delivery. No matter where you buy a can of coke, it always tastes and looks the same. Every Starbucks has the same overall look and feel to it, no matter which one you visit.

Don't throw away your weekends with weaker jocks or play just music with sweepers and imaging (if that's not what you do on weekdays).

Have something BIG on Monday morning (grand prize, feature, benchmark, etc). Run promos all weekend to push those people to Monday morning. If you're in a PPM market, imagine what a difference one meter (that may only listen on the weekend) makes if they tune in Monday morning. Every minute and occasion count.

Syndicated shows can really help build you cume. If you run them, schedule music imaging promos within that show to let the listener know what you are all about the rest of the week. Sell your station's benefits.

If your full-time staff doesn't do a live weekend show, have them voice track. Get your morning show to track a "best of" on Saturday mornings recycling the best bits from the previous week. I firmly believe that a TRACKED show with a solid full time jock is far better than a LIVE show with a mediocre jock.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

When I watch TV newscasters, I can always tell the ones that have never worked in radio.

They are terrible ad-libbers and if there is not a teleprompter in front of them, they are lost.

Most radio personalities are far better at ad-libbing and thinking on their feet. It's what we do most of the time when we're on the air (especially morning shows).

If you aren't strong at ad-libbing and want to be better on your feet, take an improv class. They are well worth the investment.

I took one a few years ago, and not only was it really fun, I learned a lot about ad-libbing and thinking on my feet. There are some rules of doing improv that totally work on the radio (I wish more TV newscasters took these classes).

Google to see if there is an improv class in your area. If there is, sign up. You'll love it and be better on the air.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

For those of you that are on air, here's a different way to aircheck your show.

Listen to it while doing something else.

It's amazing what you will hear when you aren't staring at the speaker and listening intently. Real listeners don't listen to your show that way. Every once in awhile you should try it.

If you track your show, listen to it in real time while working around the house, in the garage or driving in the car. Have it on in the background. This is exactly how everyone else is listening to you.

You'll be able to hear flow, momentum, inflection and energy the way the listener hears you. Plus, if you're a Programmer, you'll be able to hear the music mix (tempo, balance, era, etc) and how well your imaging sounds and if it's cutting through.

Sometimes we have to take a step back to really hear things the way the listener does.

That's a pretty big number of people that only hear your station on Saturday and Sunday.

Consistency is key.

Look at any big successful brand. They are consistent in their message, their product and their delivery. No matter where you buy a can of coke, it always tastes and looks the same. Every Starbucks has the same overall look and feel to it, no matter which one you visit.

Don't throw away your weekends with weaker jocks or play just music with sweepers and imaging (if that's not what you do on weekdays).

Have something BIG on Monday morning (grand prize, feature, benchmark, etc). Run promos all weekend to push those people to Monday morning. If you're in a PPM market, imagine what a difference one meter (that may only listen on the weekend) makes if they tune in Monday morning. Every minute and occasion count.

Syndicated shows can really help build you cume. If you run them, schedule music imaging promos within that show to let the listener know what you are all about the rest of the week. Sell your station's benefits.

If your full-time staff doesn't do a live weekend show, have them voice track. Get your morning show to track a "best of" on Saturday mornings recycling the best bits from the previous week. I firmly believe that a TRACKED show with a solid full time jock is far better than a LIVE show with a mediocre jock.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

If you're an on air talent and only doing the bare minimum, (Title, Artist, Time and Temp or TATT) then you are missing a huge opportunity to grow your audience and the occasions that a listener will tune in.

Do more.

Open yourself up to the listener. Connect. Relate. Share. Give them a reason to listen beyond just the music you play.

Your goal should be for the listener to think of you as a friend, not "that person on the radio."

You can't do that by reading liner cards.

In the words of consultant Jaye Albright, "people listen to people. Not radio stations."

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Recently, I was having a discussion with someone about how country radio's biggest asset is how real and genuine we are (or should be).

I know what genuine means, but I looked it up anyway. Genuine is defined as "not fake or counterfeit, not pretended; sincerely felt or expressed."

Right on!

The problem is, when I listen to country radio all over the United States, I don't hear a lot of genuine radio stations. I hear a lot of stations that play country music, but not a lot of genuine country music stations.

We need to make sure we look at everything on our radio station and be as genuine, real and authentic as we can be.

None of the air talent on your station should sound like “a DJ.” They need to be conversational, talking to the listener, not at them. They need to open themselves up and be real. Look at the success of reality shows on TV. People like watching and getting to know real people. With great personalities and all of our story songs, country radio has a BIG opportunity to be genuine, real and authentic.

When writing and producing your imaging, use real listeners talking about your station and the area you live. No hype. Use language real people use, not “radiosisms.” Look at how many TV commercials you see where real people are “talking about” and endorsing the product. Ford, Apple, Microsoft are all using this strategy and its working.

Whether you are the PD or the air talent, your goal at the end of the day is to make the listener think of you as a friend, not “that person on the radio."

Connect with the listener. Be more than a “DJ." Be a friend and companion.

WHO I AM

I'm a fan of compelling, personality driven radio. I got bit by the radio bug when I was 13 and have been involved ever since. Today, I'm the Vice President of Programming at Westwood One. I oversee the Denver based 24/7 formats heard on nearly 1700 affiliate stations across the country and around the world. I'm also the National Program Director for the syndicated shows "The Lia Show" and "Country Gold with Randy Owen."
I currently sit on the CMA (Country Music Association) Board of Directors, the Radiothon Advisory Board for St. Jude Children's Hospital as well as the Advisory Board for the Ohio School of Broadcasting.
I served as the Agenda Chairman for the Country Radio Seminar in 2010 and 2011.